Between 1925 and 1939 MacLeod painted her self-portrait more than two dozen times, illustrating with frank detail her own sexual development and awakening. The painting Seated Nude, could be a self-portrait as it bears a striking resemblance to the artist. In this work, a woman is positioned seated, tilted forward. There is a vitality or momentum to the subject, a tactile realism that stands in contrast to the mannequin-esque depictions of women by her male contemporaries at the time. MacLeod’s nude breathes in life and exhales the secrets of self discovery.